UK should be leading on climate at COP27 not hiding under a Downing Street desk
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's decision not to attend Cop27 is a reckless abdication of duty that sends a "dangerous" message to the rest of the world about the UK's net zero commitments, said the Scottish Greens.
Energy and environment spokesperson Mark Ruskell MSP said the move was "shameful" and warned of potential long-term consequences. He said:
“Rishi Sunak’s failure to go to Cop 27 is unforgivable, reckless and should sound alarm bells across the globe about the kind of climate denying Prime Minister he may turn out to be.
“Given the historical part it has played in creating the crisis, the UK should be at the front of the queue offering bold, transformational leadership on solving the climate emergency, not hiding under a Downing Street desk.
“It is a dereliction of duty, and abdication of his responsibility and sends a very dangerous message to the rest of the world that when it comes to our planet, he cares less about the next generation than he does about the next General Election.
“Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and now Rishi Sunak will go down in history as being the Prime Ministers who robbed our children of their futures, the ones who drilled for more oil and gas but then couldn’t be bothered to turn up to explain why.
“It is utterly shameful and puts our net zero commitments at very real risk. There must be a General Election now to get them out of power, before the lights go out for good.”